Geography Course List

A list of Geography courses offered during the Fall 2008 Semester can be found here.

GEOG 1001 World Regional Geography 3 cr.

Offered each semester. The nations of Europe

(including the Soviet Union) and the Americas;

emphasis on the analysis of physical and cultural

relationships and interactions between countries

in time and space.

GEOG 1002 World Regional Geography 3 cr.

Offered each semester. The nations of Asia

and Africa; emphasis on the analysis of

physical and cultural relationships and

interactions between countries in time and space.

GEOG 1500 Elements of Geography 3 cr.

A survey of the basic concepts in physical

and cultural geography.

GEOG 1600 Environmental Geography 3 cr.

An analysis of the interactions between

humankind and the world's physical

environments which have led to

present-day environmental stresses.

Topics include the utilization of

resources, population growth, food

supplies, energy, and air and water pollution.

GEOG 1690 Other People, Other Places 1 cr.

An examination of changing landscapes.

Topics will vary each semester. Most

topics will emphasize man's impact on

his environment; other topics will stress

the natural environment. Two hours of

lecture per week for one-half semester.

GEOG 2151 Elements of Physical Geography 3 cr.

An examination of the fundamentals of the

natural landscape and their interactions.

Includes weather and climate processes,

world climate patterns, soil and vegetation

types, and land forming processes.

GEOG 2158 Conservation 3 cr.

An analysis of the basic principles of the

conservation of the natural resources of

the world. Emphasis will be placed on

the United States.

GEOG 2254 Elements of Economic Geography 3 cr.

Examination of factors influencing the

location of economic activities, with

individual treatment of the primary,

secondary, and tertiary sectors, and

analysis of transportation and regional

development problems.

GEOG 2356 Cultural Geography 3 cr.

A consideration of cultural factors which

influence the human use of the

environment; emphasis on resulting

patterns of settlement, resource utilization,

and landscape modification.

GEOG 2401 Geography of Louisiana 3 cr.

An examination of the physical and cultural

landscapes of Louisiana. Emphasis placed

upon the geographical implications of the

state's varied cultural heritage. A sampling

of topics includes Acadian settlement, rural

folk housing, folk occupations, and the

evolution of the New Orleans urban landscape.

GEOG 2402 Geography of the United States and Canada 3 cr.

The physical and cultural geography of the

United States and Canada. Emphasis on the

physical landscape, culture, land use,

urbanization, and economic development.

GEOG 2404 Geography of Latin America 3 cr.

The natural environments, cultures, and economic

resources of Latin America – from Amazonia to

the Andes. Emphasis is placed on the effects

of both traditional and modern land use systems, on

cultural diversity and change, and on the internal

and external forces that have limited the economic

development of Mexico and the nations of

Central America, the Caribbean, and South

America.

GEOG 2406 Geography of the U.S. South 3 cr.

A survey and analysis of the physical and

cultural environments of the southern

United States. Emphasis on the physical

landscape, culture, land use, urbanization,

and economic development.

GEOG 2422 Geography of Western Europe 3 cr.

A survey and analysis of the physical and

cultural environments of western Europe.

Emphasis on the physical landscape, land

use, and economic development.

GEOG 2424 Geography of Russia and Neighboring States 3 cr.

A survey and analysis of the physical and

cultural environments of Russia and the new

countries that emerged from the collapse of

the Soviet Union.

GEOG 2431 Geography of the Middle East 3 cr.

A survey and analysis of the physical and

cultural environment of the Middle East.

Emphasis on physical landscape, land use,

and economic and political development.

GEOG 2441 Geography of Asia 3 cr.

A survey and analysis of the physical and

cultural environments of Asia. Emphasis

on the physical landscape, land use

and economic development.

GEOG 2451 Geography of Africa 3 cr.

A survey and analysis of the physical and

cultural environments of Africa. Emphasis on

physical landscape, culture, land use, urbanization,

disease, and economic development.

GEOG 2701 Geographical Literature and Research Aids 1 cr.

An examination of the important elements in

geographical study and the basic literature

and research aids used by geographers.

GEOG 2801 Quantitative Methods in Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisites: Mathematics 1115 and three

hours of statistics or consent of department.

An introduction to quantitative methods and

models used in analyzing geographic problems.

GEOG 2810 Map Reading and Interpretation 3 cr.

Basic introduction to the skills and reasoning

ability needed to appreciate and use maps as

research tools and illustrative devices.

Emphasis on reading and geographic analysis

of U.S. topographic maps. Two hours lecture

and two hours laboratory per week.

GEOG 3390 Special Topics in Cultural Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 2356 or consent of

department. The examination of selected

regions and social institutions to illustrate

the manner in which the geographer achieves

an understanding of the man-land relationship.

Topics will vary from semester to semester.

(May be repeated once for credit.)

GEOG 3490 Special Topics in Physical Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 2151 or consent

of department. An examination of selected

topics in physical geography. Designed to

provide an in-depth examination of specific

features of the physical landscape and to analyze

the manner in which man has altered the natural

environment. Topics will vary from semester to

semester. May be repeated once for credit.

GEOG 3595 Academic Year Abroad: Special Topics in Geography 3 cr.

This course is only offered through UNO's

Academic Year Abroad (AYA) in Innsbruck,

Austria and can be repeated once for credit.

GEOG 3850 Geography Internship 3 cr.

Prerequisite: consent of department. Each

semester the department makes available

internships with the City of New Orleans and

other government agencies in the metropolitan

area. Internships provide the opportunity to

learn about geography from the perspective of

the participating agency. This course may be

repeated once for credit for a total of six hours.

GEOG 3895 Senior Honors Thesis 1-6 cr.

Prerequisites: consent of department and the

director of the Honors Program. The design

and written preparation under faculty

supervision of a major geographic research

project. May be repeated for up to a total of

six credits. Section number will correspond

with credit to be carried.

GEOG 4150 The Geography of Hazards & Disasters 3 cr.

Recommended: Geography 1600. Students are

introduced to the geographic study of natural

hazards, technological hazards, and disasters.

Special emphasis will be given to the spatial patterns

and mapping science of both the risk and impact

of each type of environmental hazard. Additionally,

students will explore the geographic context of

creating and managing environmental hazards,

contemporary efforts to seek “all-hazards” solutions

to the management of environmental hazards and

disasters, and the multi-scale (i.e. global, regional, local)

challenges presented by environmental hazards.

GEOG 4158 Environmental Impact Assessment 3 cr.

Prerequisites: Geography 2151 and Biological

Sciences 1073 and 1083, or 1053 and 1063, or

consent of department. Three hours of statistics

are recommended. The course addresses the

legal framework and provisions of environmental

impact statement preparation as prescribed by the

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and

subsequent legislation and guidelines.

Methodologies are considered for both analyzing

and evaluating human impacts on the natural

environment.

GEOG 4220 Agricultural Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: three hours of geography or consent

of department. An examination of physical,

historical, and cultural factors influencing

agricultural production in both industrialized

and developing nations with emphasis on case

studies representative of diverse agricultural

systems. Topics include soil, water, and

climatic regulators, small-scale subsistence

systems versus mechanized Green-Revolution

farming, tropical diets and nutritional diseases,

promising new agricultural products and

technologies, and home gardening as intensive

agriculture.

GEOG 4230 Geography of Manufacturing 3 cr.

A survey and analysis of the spatial dimension

of manufacturing activities, including an

examination of location factors, theories of

location, and contemporary trends in the

location of North American manufacturing.

GEOG 4290 Special Topics in Economic Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 2254 or consent

of department. An examination of selected

topics in economic geography designed to

illustrate the manner in which man has changed

and organized the earth's surface. Topics will

vary from semester to semester. (May be

repeated once for credit.)

GEOG 4310 Political Geography 3 cr.

Examination of the spatial structure of the

state, spatial interactions among states,

geopolitical theories, law of the sea, electoral

patterns within the United States, and urban

political geography.

GEOG 4320 Tropical Lands and Their Utilization 3 cr.

The varying utilizations of savanna and

rainforest environments by different cultural

groups at different times and places;

problems of human adaptation to tropical

lands; emphasis on South America.

GEOG 4513 Meteorology 3 cr.

Geography 2151 is recommended as a

prerequisite. An examination and analysis

of the elements of weather and the techniques

and problems of weather forecasting.

GEOG 4514 Climatology 3 cr.

Geography 2151 is recommended as a

prerequisite. An analysis of climatic

processes and their organization into

regional patterns. Also includes

inter-relationships among climate,

vegetation, soils and landforms,

applications of climatic information, and

climatic modification and change.

GEOG 4530 Biogeography 3 cr.

A study of the origin, distribution,

adaptation, and association of biota

(plants and animals), emphasizing

geographical relationships. Plant

communities are correlated with climate

and soil on a worldwide basis. Methods

of dispersal and migration are studied

along with past geological events that

have affected biotic distribution.

GEOG 4540 Biogeography of Birds 3 cr.

This course will investigate bird distribution

patterns and resource use patterns on

several spatial scales. Broad geographic

patterns will be discussed, including patterns

of migration and avian zoogeography.

Distributional patterns will be interpreted

in terms of the habitat use and behavior

of birds at different stages in their annual

cycles. Field observations of species

nesting around the UNO campus will be

incorporated to complement lecture information.

GEOG 4550 Geography of Coastal Environments 3 cr.

A study of the coastal areas of the world as

natural environments, as resources, and as

human habitats. Topics covered will include

the geomorphology of coasts, coastal

oceanography, coastal resources, prehistoric

and modern human settlement patterns, the

coast as an environmental hazard, and coastal

zone management. A substantial amount of

time will be devoted to Southern Louisiana.

GEOG 4600 City and Regional Planning 3 cr.

(MURP 4600 and GEOG 4600 are cross-listed)

This course introduces students to the history and

practice of urban planning in the United States

from its origins in the colonial era through the

evolution of planning thought and programs in the

20^th century. It also provides students with an

understanding of how planning has evolved through

recent history, and is being practiced currently.

Emphasis will be placed on the components of

comprehensive planning, the implementation of

modern city plans, and the discussion of current

planning issues.

GEOG 4610 Urban Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: three hours of geography or

consent of department. An analysis of the

origin and diffusion of cities, their internal

arrangement and external relations, and the

problems associated with urban living.

GEOG 4620 Geography of the Western City 3 cr.

Prerequisite: three hours of geography or

consent of department. Examination of the

spatial patterns of urban evolution in Europe

and North America. Emphasis on the form,

function, and connectivity of Western cities

from classical times to the present.

GEOG 4630 Geography of the Third World City 3 cr.

Prerequisite: three hours of geography or

consent of department. Geographic analysis

of urbanism as a way of life and the physical

processes of urbanization in the Third World

developing countries.

GEOG 4768 Selected Geographic Concepts for

Teachers and Prospective Teachers 3 cr.

This course is designed to provide teachers

and prospective teachers with a basic

understanding and working knowledge of

selected geographic concepts and skills.

Topics include map use and interpretation,

weather and storms, world climates, landforms,

human ecology and pollution, reserves and

utilization of natural resources, population

growth, and Third World economic development

and urbanization.

GEOG 4801 Advanced Quantitative Methods in Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 2801 or consent of

department. An advanced course in the analysis

of geographic data, focusing on the refinement

of research design skills, the use of multivariate

statistical techniques, and the application of

commonly employed geographic sampling

procedures in spatial and environmental analysis.

GEOG 4805 Fundamentals of Mapping and GIS 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 2801 (or equivalent) or

consent of department. Lecture and lab-based

introduction to the basic concepts and technologies

important to mapping, GIS, and image analysis.

Topics include map design, thematic mapping,

statistical cartography, the relationship of mapping

to GIS, elements of GIS data acquisition and

analysis, visualization, and spatial decision

support systems.

GEOG 4810 Remote Sensing I (Introduction to Remote Sensing) 3 cr.

Prerequisite: three hours of geography or

consent of department. A comprehensive lecture

and lab-based introductory course that deals with

fundamental physical principles of the science of

remote sensing, theory and practice of imagery

analysis and information extraction. Specific topics

include, physics of remote sensing, energy-matter

interaction, photogrammetry, thermal imaging,

multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, and microwave

sensing. Includes remote sensing applications in

monitoring and management of natural resources,

and environmental issues. Practical exercises expose

students to image processing and analysis techniques.

GEOG 4815 Animation and Hypermedia in Cartography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 4805 or consent of

department. Lecture and lab-based examination of

principles of cartographic animation, and the role of

hypermedia; and the World Wide Web in the dissemination

and access of geospatial information. Specific topics

include, history of cartographic animation, principles

and mechanics of animation, digital color systems,

affine transformations, digital relief and flybys,

interactive animation, hypermedia and Web GIS.

GEOG 4820 Remote Sensing II 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 4810 or consent of

department. This course examines the quantitative,

computational, and applied aspects of remotely

sensed data, with the goal of providing students with

an in-depth understanding of image processing analysis,

and interpretation techniques. Topics include scientific

visualization, geometric, radiometric, and atmospheric

correction: image enhancement and manipulation,

information extraction, land-use and land-cover

change detection, integration of GIS and remote

sensing data and spatial modeling. Class applications

will address issues related to environmental analysis,

land and water resource inventory and use, and

urban analysis. Practical exercises expose students

to image processing and information extraction techniques.

GEOG 4821 Remote Sensing for Water Resources 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 4810 or the consent of the department.

Lecture and lab-based examination of the use of remote-

sensing concepts and technologies to describe the

geography of water resources, to monitor and to

evaluate their content, and to assess their impact

on physical settings and human communities. Topics

include the spectral properties of water, measurement

of selected water column constituents, and analysis of

their impact on upwelling spectral signals. Also included

are other applications to aquatic systems such as

spectral identification, classification, and delineation of

wetlands; and land-cover change detection.

GEOG 4822 Geomorphology 3 cr.

(Geography 4822 and Earth and Environmental Science

4200 are cross-listed) A study of land forms and the

processes that shaped the natural landscape. A

study of the physical geography and geology of the

United States through maps and aerial photographs

is undertaken in the laboratory. Two hours of lecture

and two hours of laboratory.

GEOG 4825 Cartographic Design 3 cr.

Prerequisites: Geography 4805 and Computer

Science 1060 or consent of department. A detailed

examination of modern computer-based map creation,

with particular focus on map design issues. Lecture

topics include map generalization, text labeling ,

color schemes, classification of statistical data, and

various univariate and multivariate mapping techniques.

Class exercises aim to develop practical skills in the

use of GIS and graphic design software for cartographic

purposes.

GEOG 4830 GIS Theories and Concepts 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 4805 or consent of department.

Detailed lecture and lab-based examination of theories and

concepts important to geographic information systems (GIS).

Topics include GIS as a communication system, data

acquisition and management, error management, GIS

functions, GIS-based spatial analysis, GIS and regional

scale, visualization concepts, the role of GIS in spatial

decision support.

GEOG 4831 GIS Applications 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 4830 or consent of department.

Lecture and lab-based examination of the use of

geographic information systems (GIS) in specific

problem-solving contexts. Activities include

identification of GIS uses in different socioeconomic

and physical contexts, analysis of advanced

technical issues (e.g., network analysis, location-

allocation modeling, facilities management) and

investigation of implementation issues.

GEOG 4833 Terrestrial Plant Ecology 3 cr.

(BIOS 4833 and GEOG 4833 are cross-listed). Prerequisite:

consent of department. A broad overview of the specialized

branches of plant ecology which will examine the essential

interactions between plants and their environment. The

focus of the course will be threefold: first, theoretical

considerations providing students a solid background from

which to examine plant environment interactions; second,

the dynamic processes that continually shape the

structure of plant communities; third, methodologies

for sampling and analyzing plant communities. At

least two field trips can be anticipated.

GEOG 4901 Field Methods in Geography 4 cr.

Prerequisites: nine hours of geography including

Geography 2801 or equivalent, and consent of

department. Techniques of geographic field research.

Projects will emphasize methods of gathering

and organizing field data and subsequent

geographical analysis of collected data. Two

hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory.

GEOG 4991 Independent Work in Geography 1 cr.

Prerequisite: admission by consent of department.

Independent research under the direction of a

designated faculty member. Regular conferences

between the student and the instructor are

required. Geography 4991, 4992, 4993 may not

be taken for a total of more than six hours credit.

In no case may a student register in

Geography 3850 and 4991 through 4993 for a

total of more than nine hours credit.

GEOG 4992 Independent Work in Geography 1 cr.

Prerequisite: admission by consent of department.

Independent research under the direction of a

designated faculty member. Regular conferences

between the student and the instructor are

required. Geography 4991, 4992, 4993 may not

be taken for a total of more than six hours credit.

In no case may a student register in

Geography 3850 and 4991 through 4993 for a

total of more than nine hours credit.

GEOG 4993 Independent Work in Geography 1 cr.

Prerequisite: admission by consent of department.

Independent research under the direction of a

designated faculty member. Regular conferences

between the student and the instructor are

required. Geography 4991, 4992, 4993 may not

be taken for a total of more than six hours credit.

In no case may a student register in

Geography 3850 and 4991 through 4993 for a

total of more than nine hours credit.

GEOG 6001 Problems in Land Use and Environmental Analysis 1 cr.

Required of all master of arts in geography students.

Examination of procedures and concepts important

to the geographical analysis of human and

environmental resources, focusing on land resources.

Topics include spatial analysis of rural and

urban land use patterns, environmental consequences

of land use decisions, and the role of environmental

perception in land use decision-making behavior.

GEOG 6310 Seminar in Regional Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Advanced

analysis of the geography of a specific region.

Region emphasized will vary depending on

instructor. Course may be repeated once for credit.

GEOG 6330 Seminar in Cultural Historical Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Intensive

study of a topic in cultural and/or historical

geography. Topic emphasized will vary

depending on instructor. Seminar may be

repeated once for credit.

GEOG 6530 Seminar in Environmental Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 4158 and Geography 4801

or consent of department. Intensive research into

selected topics, including but not limited to

environmental processes, human-environment

interactions, environmental impact assessment,

ecological risk analysis, and public policy making.

Focus on the course will vary depending on

instructor. Seminar may be repeated once for credit.

GEOG 6550 Seminar in Physical Geography 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 4801, or equivalent,

and consent of instructor. Intensive study of

selected problems in soils analysis, climatology,

bioclimatology, plant geography, zoogeography,

and geographical ecology. Area of study will

vary depending on the instructor. Seminar may

be repeated once for credit.

GEOG 6605 Seminar in Land Use Analysis 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Consent of department. Intensive

research into selected rural and/or urban land-use

problems in their environmental and historical

contexts. Course may be repeated once for credit.

GEOG 6820 Seminar in Remote Sensing 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 4820 or consent of

department. Intensive research into the

theories and techniques of digital image

processing at advanced level. Application

of satellite remote sensing technology and

analysis to real world problems, including

image preprocessing, image enhancement,

supervised and unsupervised classification,

change detection, classification accuracy

assessment, and methods of interfacing

remote sensing derived information with

geographic information systems. Seminar

may be repeated once for credit.

GEOG 6825 Seminar in Geographical Information Science 3 cr.

Prerequisite: Geography 4830 or consent

of department. An intensive, literature-based discussion

of selected topics from Geographic Information Science.

Selected topics may derive from geocomputational

developments that extend the traditional GIS paradigm

towards dynamic, interactive, and visual approaches,

including uncertainty modeling, cellular automata, artificial

neural networks and exploratory data analysis. Other

topics may include Internet GIS and the societal impact

of geographic information technology, including information

access and privacy issues. (May be repeated once for credit.)

GEOG 6887 Geographic Thought and Research Methods 3 cr.

Required of all Master of Arts in Geography